About The Song
In late 1967 Bobby Bare entered RCA Victor Studios in Nashville to record material for what would become his album *The English Country Side*. Working with the British group The Hillsiders and produced by Chet Atkins, he cut “Find Out What’s Happening,” a concise two-minute-and-forty-second track written by Jerry Crutchfield. RCA Victor released the single in January 1968 under catalog 47-9450, with “When Am I Ever Gonna Settle Down” on the B-side. The song arrived during a transitional phase in Bare’s career, when he was blending traditional storytelling with the smoother, more polished sounds that were gaining favor in Nashville.
Crutchfield crafted the lyric as a direct, frustrated ultimatum from a man who has reached the end of his patience. The narrator tells his partner that he knows she means well and that he has always been honest with her, but he is giving her just one more day to “find out what’s happening” before he walks away for good. The verses describe a relationship drifting into uncertainty, with the singer sensing that something important is slipping away while she remains unaware or unwilling to acknowledge it. The repeated chorus delivers the warning with a mix of resignation and quiet urgency that many listeners found instantly relatable.
Bare delivered the performance with his warm, conversational baritone and relaxed phrasing that had already become his signature. The arrangement featured The Hillsiders on harmony vocals and a clean, mid-tempo production that leaned slightly toward the countrypolitan style emerging in the late 1960s. Chet Atkins kept the instrumentation straightforward—steady rhythm, subtle steel guitar, and backing vocals—allowing Bare’s natural storytelling voice to carry the emotional weight without unnecessary ornamentation.
Released at the start of 1968, the single climbed the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and peaked at number fifteen. It also became Bare’s first entry on Canada’s RPM Country chart, reaching number five and helping introduce his music to a broader international audience. The modest but solid chart performance kept Bare’s name active during a period when many of his contemporaries were navigating the shift from raw honky-tonk to more radio-friendly productions.
The track appeared on *The English Country Side*, an album that showcased Bare collaborating with British musicians and exploring material that mixed American country roots with a touch of international flavor. Although it was never one of his blockbuster hits, “Find Out What’s Happening” earned steady airplay and found a loyal audience among fans who appreciated his ability to turn everyday relationship tensions into honest, no-nonsense country songs. It later surfaced on various compilations and reissues drawn from his RCA catalog.
Over the decades the song has remained a quiet favorite among collectors of Bare’s mid-career work. Its straightforward plea and relatable theme have kept it alive on classic-country playlists and digital streaming services. While Bare would go on to greater commercial and artistic success with Shel Silverstein collaborations in the 1970s, tracks like this one illustrated his consistent skill at interpreting strong outside material during the late 1960s.
More than fifty-five years after its release, “Find Out What’s Happening” stands as a solid snapshot of Bobby Bare in transition. What began as another productive Nashville session became a modest chart entry that captured the quiet frustration many couples feel when communication starts to fail. The record reminds listeners of Bare’s enduring talent for making simple, direct lyrics sound both personal and universal through his warm, unpretentious delivery.
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Lyric
Baby you know me well you know I mean what I say
Before I say farewell I’ll give you just one more day
So you can find out what’s happening find out what’s happening before long
If you don’t find out what’s happening you’re gonna find out that I’m gone
Tell me what you’re gonna do you better make up your mind
It all depends on you or I’m leaving you behind
You’d better find out what’s happening
Baby you know it’s true we’ve been through thick and thin
But if you don’t come through you won’t ever see me again
You’d better find out what’s happening find out what’s happening before long
If you don’t find out what’s happening you’re gonna find your daddy gone
Find out what’s happening find out what’s happening find out what’s happening